On Sunday, October 7, the NMSU Theater Department will present “Memories: A Temple in Las Cruces,” based on oral history interviews conducted with congregants of Temple Beth-El of Las Cruces. This program will chronicle the development of the congregation and the participation of the Jewish community in Las Cruces life.
The presentation makes clear that ritual, study and prayer are central to living Jewishly.
We just completed the observance of the High Holy Days, beginning with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and, ten days later, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
One of the readings in our new prayerbook for the holidays, Mishkan Hanefesh (a Tabernacle of the Soul), caught my eye this year. The meditation that precedes prayers of confession on Yom Kippur in our previous prayerbook, Gates of Repentance, made this declaration: “Our God...grant that our prayers may reach You. Do not be deaf to our pleas, for we are NOT so arrogant and stiff-necked as to say before you...that we are perfect and have not sinned; rather do we confess: we have gone astray.”
The statement in the new prayerbook is more direct, and eliminates the word “not.” It now declares, “We are arrogant and stubborn, claiming to be blameless and free of sin, but in truth we have stumbled and strayed.” It is a stark admission.
We are, at times, reluctant to confess to ourselves when we have done something wrong in order to avoid confronting our own failures. We may be afraid to apologize for an action which we know we committed and for which we know we have let ourselves down, not to mention adversely affecting someone else’s life.
Fairness, and justice, however, dictate that we step forward and take responsibility for our actions.
At a recent session with our middle school/high school class at Temple, we explored passages from the Bible about justice and fairness. I first had the students identify actions that they see people commit which they believe to be wrong. They listed stealing, hurting, lying, cheating and bullying.
We then reviewed rules in the Bible that list actions that we should do as well as those we should avoid. Chapter 23 of the book of Exodus directs us not to spread false rumors, not to support those who are guilty by lying in order to frame someone who is innocent, to approach people with fairness whether they are rich or poor, and to avoid offering or taking bribes that can undermine justice at its foundation.
Chapter 19 of the book of Leviticus directs people not to steal or be deceitful with each other. Business should be conducted based on honesty. Decisions between people involved in disputes should be made wisely and fairly. We should not bear grudges or take vengeance, but we should love other people as we love ourselves, and extend that love to strangers.
Congregants who work in the court and legal system will be coming to speak to the students about how biblical values might relate to real-life cases they face on a regular basis.
So are we so arrogant to say that we never do wrong? Or do we realize that we might make mistakes from time to time? Through study and through prayers that address how we can strive for perfection, we will reach our best potential to be responsible human beings who will make a positive difference in the world.
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